Vine Mealybug (VMB) Control

Vine mealybugs can cause severe damage in your vineyard:

Vine mealybugs (VMB) can deposit copious amounts of honeydew on grape bunches.

Honeydew serves as a substrate for black sooty mold.

VMB can infest bunches directly, making the grapes unfit for consumption.

VMB can transmit grape viruses.

We had been contacted by concerned grape growers who realize the need to incorporate biological control into their pest control program. We are now rearing Anagyrus pseudococci to complement Cryptolaemus in order to give grape growers an effective “one-two” punch to combat vine mealybug. We are confident that we will meet the needs of interested grape growers, and look forward to providing a needed service to the California grape grower.

Anagyrus pseudococci provides up to 90% parasitism of vine mealybug in the San Joaquin Valley. This parasite is active late in the grape growing season and can reduce vine mealybug populations before the pest moves to the lower part of the trunk. We are raising the preferred strain of Anagyrus which was utilized in the UC research that showed the efficacy of this parasitoid on vine mealybug.

Some of the benefits of biological control include:

Decreases your dependence on pesticides
Eliminates much of your pesticide use reporting
Allows you to avoid REI's, PHI's, and MRL issues
Saves you money from reduced pesticide use
Increases sustainability

We suggest that implementing the two biological control options of Cryptolaemus and Anagyrus in your vineyard will allow you to decrease your dependence on chemical control agents and thus increase your farming sustainability. Associates Insectary has over 80 years' experience in the production of beneficial organisms. We continue to meet our growers' needs as the agricultural industry evolves and changes.